India AI Impact Summit 2026: Finalists for global challenges named

Ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the IT Ministry has announced finalists for three global AI competitions. The event, which drew over 4,650 applications from 60+ countries, will showcase scalable and impactful AI solutions.

India AI Impact Summit 2026: Global Competition Finalists Unveiled

With just a day to go for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology on Sunday announced the finalists for three marquee global AI competitions, drawing participation from innovators around the world. The press release, issued by the Press Information Bureau, highlighted that more than 4,650 applications from over 60 countries were received across the three flagship challenges.

The summit, scheduled to run from February 16-20, will showcase scalable and socially impactful AI solutions that address pressing global priorities, including healthcare, education, climate resilience and inclusive governance. The shortlisted teams will present their solutions during the Grand Finale and Awards Felicitation Ceremony at Bharat Mandapam and Sushma Swaraj Bhawan on February 16 and 17.

AI for ALL Challenge

Among the three challenges, AI for ALL received over 1,350 applications from more than 60 countries. This challenge focused on scalable AI innovations that can contribute to broad socio-economic impact. "The Top 20 finalists reflect high-impact, real-world applications ranging from AI-driven infection screening, soil intelligence, and climate risk analytics to digital health diagnostics, cybersecurity, industrial efficiency, accessible education technologies and AI-enabled governance systems," the release stated.

AI by HER: Advancing Women-Led Innovation

Another major competition, AI by HER, which aims to advance women-led innovation in artificial intelligence, drew over 800 applications from more than 50 countries. The Top 30 finalists are women entrepreneurs whose solutions span healthcare, sustainability, financial inclusion, workforce development, education, agriculture and digital commerce. These include AI-enabled cancer and retinal screening tools, multilingual clinical decision support systems, voice-to-EMR platforms and ESG automation technologies.

"AI by HER underscores the Government's commitment to inclusive digital growth and to positioning women innovators at the forefront of the global AI ecosystem," the ministry said.

YUVAi Global Youth Challenge

The third challenge, YUVAi Global Youth Challenge, showcased the creativity and problem-solving skills of young AI innovators aged 13 to 21. With over 2,500 entries from 38 countries, the top 20 teams selected feature solutions addressing public health, agriculture, climate resilience, accessibility, smart mobility and digital trust. Finalist projects include malaria detection systems, AI-enabled speech assistive wearables, telemedicine platforms for rural care, livestock analytics, early forest fire warning solutions, deepfake detection tools and assistive technologies for the visually impaired.

Fostering India as a Global AI Hub

Highlighting the global engagement with the event, the press release emphasised India's emerging role as an AI innovation hub anchored in the vision of People, Planet and Progress. The Top 70 teams will not only demonstrate their innovations but also engage with policymakers, industry leaders, investors and academics to explore scaling and deployment opportunities.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 represents a concerted effort by the government to promote responsible AI adoption while nurturing talent across demographics and geographies, from seasoned industry pioneers to young yet impactful innovators. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)